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Good Samaritan describes finding tortured man outside gas station

OMAHA, Neb. -

A young disabled man escaped his home where, according to police, he was tortured, abused and locked up.

Court documents lay out many intricate details of incidents over the course of several years, in which police state Rebecca S. Beyer, of Council Bluffs, deprived the 20-year-old of living essentials, including food and a bathroom, as well as forced him to sleep while standing.

The documents state the 20-year-old ran away from home on Feb. 19. Randy Croghan found him shaking outside a Council Bluffs gas station.

Croghan said that's when he realized the young man needed help, so he brought him to the Joshua House, a homeless shelter for men. Inside the shelter, Program Director Brandy Wallar also noticed something wasn't right.

“Within the first few days he was here, we knew that he had some trauma in his life,” Waller said.

Wallar said the 20-year-old slept and ate at the shelter and finally began to talk about his past filled with pain.

“He would say everyone once in a while tell us a little story, like he wasn't able to eat for a couple days,” Wallar said.

The shelter filed a report with police, triggering an investigation revealing allegations of horrific abuse by the man’s father, stepmother and stepbrother.

After three weeks at the shelter, the Department of Health and Human Services found him a more permanent place to stay.

“He called us last week to tell us that he's really happy and he really likes where he's at now, so it's really cool to know that,” Wallar said.

Croghan, who maintains a relationship with the man, said he is glad the man is safe.

The shelter said the 20-year-old has been extremely grateful for the help.

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